IAF completes flight tests of smart anti-airfield weapon

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully completed testing on a smart anti-airfield weapon (SAAW) called Glide Bomb.

The lightweight guided bomb was indigenously developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as well as other laboratories of DRDO and IAF.

The SAAW was dropped from an IAF aircraft in the ranges at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, India.

It was guided through a precision navigation system and reached the targets that were at a distance of more than 70km.

A total of three tests with different release conditions and ranges were conducted and all were successful with high accuracies, the India Ministry of Defence stated.

“A total of three tests with different release conditions and ranges were conducted and all were successful with high accuracies.”

The SAAW will soon be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.

The guided bomb is available in two variants, including Garuthmaa and Garudaa, The Hindu Business Line reported.

The Garuthmaa is a winged version with a range of up to 100km, while Garudaa is a non-winged variant with a 30km range and scalable up to 100km. It is equipped with navigation and guidance systems.

Weighing around 125kg, the SAAW is a long-range, precision-guided air-to-surface weapon that can be launched from India’s all frontline fighter aircraft, including Jaguar and Sukhoi-30 MKI, according to The New Indian Express.